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Statement Of Faith

Our Beliefs

Our Beliefs

  • We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith and life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). While we respect church tradition and the writings of the Early Church Fathers, these are secondary to Scripture. For all practical purposes, we recognize 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Deuterocanonical books (apocryphal books) are not considered "Holy Scripture," but they are "useful and good to read." 

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    We believe the Bible is the "Word of God" because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). It possesses both a divine side, with God as the primary author, adn a human side, through which God used the unique personalities and contexts of the writers. We view the Bible as infallible-it does not fail in its purpose to bring people to salvation (John 20:31). Because God is the author, the original manuscripts are free from error, making one "wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). We believe the Holy Spirit is "locked" to the Word; He works through the preacehd and read Word to create faith (Romans 10:17).

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  • We hold a strictly Trinitarian faith. We confess that there is one divine essence which is eternal, without body, and without parts, yet there are three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14). They are of the same substance, co-eternal, and each is fully and completely God, yet there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4).

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    The roles of the three persons are viewed through the lens of the Gospel:

    • The Father: Creates and provides for us (Genesis 1:1).

    • The Son: Redeems us through His humanity, death, and resurrection (Galatians 4:4-5).

    • The Holy Spirit: Sanctifies us by calling us to faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).

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    The Trinity is a "holy mystery" accepted in faith because it is how God has revealed Himself in Scripture (Colossians 2:9).

  • We view the Father as the benevolent Creator and Preserver. He is the source of all life, providing our body, soul, and all our members (Psalm 139:13-16). He provides for all people simply because He is good, not because we deserve it (Matthew 5:45). Our duty is to "thank and praise, serve and obey Him" (Psalm 100:2-4). We believe the Father’s heart is "hidden" until we see Him through the Son, where we see a loving parent who gave His only Son to save us (John 3:16).

  • Jesus Christ is the center of everything. He is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary (John 1:1, 14).

    • The State of Humiliation: From His conception to His burial, Jesus possessed full divine power but chose not to use it fully so that He could live, suffer, and die as a human servant in our place (Philippians 2:5-8).

    • The State of Exaltation: Beginning with His resurrection, He now reigns over all things for the sake of the Church (Philippians 2:9-11).

    He fulfills three specific roles: Prophet (preaching the Gospel), Priest (serving as the perfect sacrifice and intercessor), and King (ruling over the universe and our hearts). On the cross, a "happy exchange" occurred: our sin was placed on Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), and His righteousness was given to us as a gift (Romans 3:22).

  • The Holy Spirit is "The Lord and Giver of Life" (John 6:63). No human can believe in Jesus by their own power; rather, the Spirit calls us by the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9). His work is to call, enlighten (Acts 26:18), sanctify (1 Peter 1:2), and keep us in the faith. We believe the Spirit is bound to the eternal Word and Sacraments (Isaiah 59:21). His purpose is to point people to Jesus (John 15:26) and gather the Christian church on earth (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

  • Salvation is centered on Justification—the process of being made right with God. We uphold three "solas":

    1. Sola Gratia (Grace Alone): Salvation is a free gift not earned by works (Titus 3:5).

    2. Sola Fide (Faith Alone): We are justified through faith apart from "deeds of the law" (Romans 3:28).

    3. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone): The Bible is the final authority (Psalm 119:105).

    We believe Christ took the place of sinners (Vicarious Atonement) and that believers remain "at the same time saint and sinner" (Simul Iustus et Peccator).

  • The church believes that believers should live a righteous life for the glory of God by the grace of Jesus Christ, separate from worldliness and the vein things of the world (Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 2:15-16, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6, Titus 2:11- 14).

  • Jesus will return visibly, bodily, and gloriously (Acts 1:11, Matthew 25:31). We do not predict dates (Matthew 24:36). At His return, there will be a physical resurrection (John 5:28-29), a final judgment (Romans 8:1), and a restored new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1). We believe the "Millennium" is the current age of the Church.

  • Angels are ministering spirits created to serve God's purposes (Hebrews 1:14). Holy angels serve and protect (Psalm 91:11-12), while fallen angels seek to lead us away. We recognize them as messengers (Luke 1:26-38) and protectors (Matthew 18:10), but we do not worship or pray to them (Colossians 2:18, Revelation 22:8-9).

  • The Church is the assembly of believers among whom the Gospel is preached purely and Sacraments are administered rightly (Acts 2:42). We believe in the Priesthood of all Believers (1 Peter 2:9), meaning every Christian has direct access to God. For the sake of order, pastors are "rightly called" to the Office of the Holy Ministry to preach and administer Sacraments (1 Corinthians 14:40, Titus 1:5).

  • Marriage is a holy estate instituted by God at creation, defined exclusively as the lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6). It is a divine vocation characterized by sacrificial love and mutual service (Ephesians 5:21-33).

  • Baptism is God’s work, not ours. It is a "washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5) that delivers forgiveness and salvation (1 Peter 3:21). We practice infant baptism because the promise is for all (Acts 2:38-39). It is a daily reality of repentance and new life (Romans 6:4).

  • We believe in the Real Presence: the body and blood of Christ are truly present "in, with, and under" the bread and wine (1 Corinthians 10:16). It is not a symbol (Matthew 26:26-28). The primary benefit is the forgiveness of sins. We encourage self-examination before receiving the sacrament (1 Corinthians 11:27-28).

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